Perbacco, 230 California, 415-955-0663, bears the name of my departed best Italian resto in Paris and is a dazzling setting. Colette and I went with my cousin, a successful wine-maker and businessman, on a brilliant and warm-in-the-sunlight day in SF.
The menu is inventive and the wine list intimidating but we soldiered on, fortified with a fine Marciaferro, some ice-less water and foccacia.
Two of us had the local squid starter with a dense bean puree on arugula – terrific! while Colette sampled the artichoke soup with bits of crisp prosciutto chips that was the best soup of the year. I did not get a taste of the roasted beets but they disappeared quickly.
For our “mains” we had the tripes with huge beans and spicy sauce on bread – that I thought had no master, even in Florence, a frito misto of shrimp, calamari and veggies that was most tasty, a sole and asparagus salad and a risotto with morels and peas and cheese.
Our bill per couple (after one dessert, 2 coffees and another glass of the Marciaferro) was (after tax and tip) $95.49 and Colette’s reaction on exiting was to ask “When can we come back?”
Brandy Ho, 217 Columbus, 415-788-7527 was a Hunan place recommended by a friend with whom we recently had a super meal at the Fatty Crab in New York, so I trusted his recs on spicy places.
Plus the nabe for old folks who were here around the Summer of Love, as I was awaiting shipment to Viet Nam, is soooo evocative:
Colette and I arrived early and the owner-host immediately suggested we start with an appetizer of fried pork dumpling whose insides were delicious but batter was too generous for us.
At this point our local friend appeared and we ordered a sweet and sour shrimp, three delicacies and their own smoked duck. All were good but not dazzling.
With a bottle of wine, before tax and tip, our bill (for 3) was $107.15.
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